Multiple nested bins, each with a grating on the bottom. The second-lowest bin would have the smallest holes (the lowest bin must be hole-free), and bins above that would have ever larger holes.

To sort your LEGO, dump it in the top bin and shake for a while. Then separate the bins. The smallest pieces will be in the bottom bin, the largest pieces in the top bin, with medium pieces in between.
-- AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009

Full-baked http://www.box4blox.com/
As you describe [bdag, Oct 20 2009]

Hmmmm, what about the long, thin, smooth topped ones, that are only a third of a brick in height?
Wouldn't they defeat your sorting mechanism, and fall through to the bottom anyway?
-- kaz, Oct 20 2009


Shouldn't there be a color and type sorter instead?
-- Rmac, Oct 20 2009


[Wouldn't they defeat your sorting mechanism]

Probably, but after using it a few times, you'd learn which bins certain pieces would end up in.

[Shouldn't there be a color and type sorter instead?]

I don't think there's a mechanical way of sorting by color or type. You'd need some sort of electronic camera.
-- AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009


AntiQuark! The pieces naturally sort this way when you shake a box of them.
-- daseva, Oct 20 2009


Of course if you really wanted to know where all your pieces were you'd sort them by size, shape, and colour, and just keep them segregated anyway.......
-- kaz, Oct 20 2009


[kaz] I agree, I've explained that to my kids many times :)
-- AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009


But what kind of kid keeps his toys that well organised?
-- Rmac, Oct 20 2009


The kind you worry about.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 20 2009


Baked and baked. Check out the Box4Blox website and enter yourself to win one.
-- bdag, Oct 20 2009


[bdag] Cool, I was unaware of that, thanks for the link!
-- AntiQuark, Oct 20 2009


Most of my old Lego bricks are stored by usefulness, in model format.
-- kaz, Oct 20 2009


I like to store mine autobiographically.
-- daseva, Oct 20 2009


You need to get out more and meet people your own age, [kaz].
-- 8th of 7, Oct 20 2009


Hey, I didn't say I played with them. They live in the attic somewhere.
-- kaz, Oct 20 2009


I also happen to have a perfectly functioning social life thank you very much, I just can't remember where i left it.
Besides, we can't all just absorb more company when we need it.
-- kaz, Oct 20 2009


When I used to have lego, I kept it in a giant plastic tub, and the only obsession was not permitting unused pieces to be joined together. The pleasure of "rooting" though the tub with both hands in search of a vital brick, which you know you possess only one of!

Anyway, for this application I vote for a small robot arm with camera, to individually pick pieces and place them in appropriate chutes.
-- pocmloc, Oct 21 2009



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